Through The Glass
by SophieWofy
Summary: WPC Annie Cartwright unexpectedly finds herself in 2006. How has she got there and what is she supposed to do in a world so different from where she belongs? T for a few instances of swearing.
1. Prologue

This is my first fic for the Life on Mars fandom, but I hope you enjoy it. Anyone you recognise I do not own, unfortunately, but the rest are my OCs.

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"_She walks through her sunken dream to the seat with the clearest view"_

- David Bowie, _Life On Mars_

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"Oi, you! Stop!" PC Annie Cartwright gave chase along the side of the canal. The young man she was pursuing, a teenage thief known to the division, was sprinting under the bridge with a woman's handbag. The owner of the handbag in question, an elderly lady currently lying on the riverbank, was the least of Annie's priorities. All she wanted to do right now was get the bag back for her.

Annie kept running, thankful it was keeping her warm. The cold January air went straight down her throat and she coughed. She had to keep going, though. Now wasn't the time for getting ill.

The thief was in her sights. He was a known criminal, and they had been after him for a few weeks. There had been no evidence to arrest him, though. Until now.

The thief stumbled up the side of the bridge, slipping on the muddy grass. Annie took the opportunity to grab his ankle, pulling him down and creating brown skidmarks along the front of his trousers.

"Got you."

The thief swung the bag around, hitting Annie's head with a remarkable degree of force. She stumbled backwards, falling onto the pavement and the last thing she remembered before it all went black was a searing pain through her head.


	2. Chapter 1

_ "I remember when I lost my mind, there was something so pleasant"_

_ -_Gnarls Barkley, _Crazy_

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_"Can you hear me, honey?"

Annie's eyes came into focus as a soft female voice entered her ears. She blinked once, twice, trying to adjust to the bright lights around her.

Wait, bright lights? That wasn't right, she was by the canal. There were no bright lights by the canal. She sat up suddenly, her head rushing from the sudden movement. All around her were neon lights, women staggering around in short skirts and high heels, and men swigging from bottles. Where was she? How had she got here?

"Whe-where am I?" Annie asked the woman. "Who are you? Where's the canal? I was by the canal. I was chasing a thief."

"The canal?" the woman asked. "I think you've hit your head harder than you realise, babe. You're in central Manchester. I'm Sarah, what's your name?" She had a strong smell of alcohol on her breath, but Annie didn't really care right at that moment.

"A-Annie. Annie Cartwright."

"Ok, Annie. I'm going to call you an ambulance. What club were you in? Where are your friends?"

"I wasn't in a club." Annie staggered to her feet as the woman opened her bag and pulled out a small object which she tapped a couple of times before holding to her ear. "I have to get back. They're expecting me back by now."

"Wait!" Sarah called after her. "Please, let me get you an ambulance."

But Annie had already made up her mind. She began to run, thankful she wasn't wearing high heels like the rest of the women seemed to be. She didn't know where she was, but the police station couldn't be that far away. Everything seemed so different though, so strange. It wasn't like Manchester at all. Maybe she had hit her head harder than she'd thought.

She kept on running, in the opposite direction to the crowds of people that were filing towards the street where she had found herself. She barged past people, not caring where she was going. She just needed to get out of this...this nightmare.

"Hey." A man grabbed her arms as she ran into him. "Are you alright?"

Annie shook her head. "I- I don't know where I am."

The man put an arm around her. "How about I take you inside and get you something warm? I'm Sam, I'm a policeman. You don't need to be scared."

Annie trembled, but agreed. A policeman was what she needed right now. He could contact her station. "I-I'm Annie. WPC Annie Cartwright."

"Do you mean DC Annie Cartwright? Transfer from Manning Road?"

"But I'm not a DC."

"That's a shame. If you were, you'd be on my team next week."

Annie stared at him. She couldn't be joining his team, she hadn't even applied for a transfer. Nobody had said anything about a transfer. But then again, nobody had said anything about moving to a different area, either, yet here she was.

She walked with Sam, uncertain about what to say or do. He seemed unlike any police officers she knew; he wasn't in uniform, and he was dressed in jeans and an open-necked shirt, with a black v-neck sweatshirt pulled over the top. He had to be CID, though he didn't dress like the CID members she knew back at her station.

"This is the police station," Sam explained. "I'll get you something to eat and find you some warm clothes. You must be freezing."

Annie looked down at her outfit. She hadn't even realised she was no longer in uniform. She had a short black skirt on that didn't even reach her knees, coupled with a red strappy top. Feeling self-conscious, she tugged at the top, trying to cover up her cleavage. Why was she dressed like this? She didn't even own a skirt that short.

"I am," she said quietly, not sure what else to say.

Sam opened the door to the station and held it for Annie to enter. She was hit by warmth, and she couldn't help but stare. It was like the station she remembered, but it...wasn't. There was a strange box-like thing on the desk that a man was looking at, only glancing up when she and Sam walked past.

"Who's this, then?"

Sam spoke before Annie could. "This is Annie; she's new in CID. I'm just showing her round the place before she starts on Monday."

The man winked. "That's what they all say. I won't tell Maya you've got a chick upstairs. Your secret's safe with me."

"She's not my chick," Sam insisted before he went through another door. He went up a set of stairs, Annie silently following until he emerged in a glassy room.

There were boxes similar to the one on the desk everywhere, with pictures on. People were typing at some of them. Annie couldn't take her eyes off of what was going on.

"What are they doing?" Annie asked.

"Just reports. Boring stuff, really. Come on, you can warm up in my office. I've got a change of clothes in there you can wear."

"But what are the boxes?"

"Boxes?" Sam echoed. "Do you mean the computers? Have you hit your head or something?"

"I guess I must have," Annie replied, before mouthing 'computers' to herself. She followed Sam into his office, where there was yet another computer on his desk. They seemed to be everywhere.

Sam opened a cupboard while Annie sat down, and he tossed her a pair of trousers and a hooded jumper. "They might be a little bit big on you, but they should be alright. What do you want to drink, tea or coffee?"

"Tea, please."

Sam left the room, and Annie pulled on the clothes before taking off her own skirt. She looked around, taking it all in. The sign on the door said he was DCI, but this was a lot different to Gene Hunt's office. A newspaper was in the bin, and Annie reached to pull it out. She needed to know where – and when – she was.

Saturday January 28th, 2006.

2006? She blinked, but the date didn't change. She sat and read the paper, trying to understand this new time she appeared to be in. It certainly seemed like the future, with all the computers and the way people were dressed and everything else that was just so different.

But why was she there? How had she got there? It didn't add up. She was Annie Cartwright, WPC and nobody special. She didn't deserve to be a time traveller. She belonged in 1973, not 2006.

"One tea and a plate of biscuits," Sam declared, entering the room with a tray. There were two paper cups on it with plastic lids, as well as a plate with more varieties of biscuits than Annie knew was possible.

"Thanks," Annie told him, putting the paper down. "Are you the DCI?"

"I'm supposed to be." Sam laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll meet Gary Hunt later. He's my DI, and he wants the DCI job desperately. It's no secret. He's basically divided my department."

"Gary Hunt?"

Sam nodded. "His old man was a copper back in the seventies and eighties. Hunt's pretty bitter he's not a DCI yet, as that was his dad's role. He wants to better him."

"Gene Hunt?" Annie couldn't stop herself from asking.

"You've heard of him?"

Heard of him? Annie knew him personally, but she wasn't about to let Sam think she was insane. "Yeah, I've heard of him."

"Well, Gary's basically a chip off the old block. He's just like his old man, or so they say. I never knew the bloke myself. Anyway, there's a few people here that are on my side. Maya and Kate hate Hunt, but there's a few of the blokes that practically lick his shoes."

Annie nodded. "I-is he here now?"

Sam shook his head. "He's gone home for the evening. Which is where I was heading before I bumped into you."

"I'm sorry."

Sam put a gentle hand on Annie's arm. "Hey, there's nothing to apologise for."

They were interrupted by a knock on the door, and before Sam could invite them in, the door opened. A ginger-haired man strode in and grabbed Sam into an armlock. "Sammy boy, I'm arresting you for not being ready to go to the pub with the lads. You do not have to drink anything but anything you do refuse to drink will be forced down you."

Sam threw his head back, headbutting the newcomer in the stomach. "Dave, can't you see I'm busy?"

"Busy, aye? What's Maya going to say?"

"Nothing, because nothing's happening. Not like that, anyway."

Dave let go of the grip on Sam's arm. "Oh, man up. I was only messing with you. Are you coming out or what?"

"No."

Dave's jaw dropped. "Sammy, what happened to bros before hoes and all that? You always come out. It's our Saturday night routine."

"Yeah, well, today's different. And shut the door on your way out, you're letting the cold air in."

"Whatever. See you tomorrow, Tyler. Have a good night with her." Dave turned and left the room, slamming the door shut. Annie jumped in her seat at the noise.

"Ignore him, he's being a pig."

"Who is he?"

"Dave O'Connell, Uniform Inspector. He's a decent bloke most of the time, but a bit too fond of his drink. We've been mates since training. Anyway, the question now is what are you going to do? I'll drop you back to yours on the way home if you like. Where do you live?"

Annie gulped. She had no idea where she was supposed to live; did her old address even exist any more? "I- I don't know."

"Ok, well I'm sure we've got an address on the system somewhere. What's your date of birth?" Sam reached for the computer and began to type.

"March 14th, 1946."

"1946? That would make you nearly 60. Seriously, date of birth."

Annie stared at him. What a stupid slip of the tongue. But it wasn't, though. She was living in a time when she should be 60, yet she was only 26.

"I...I am being serious." Annie decided she had to come clean. She trusted Sam, and she needed to tell someone. "My name's Annie Cartwright, I was born in 1946. I'm a WPC at this station back in 1973, and I was chasing a robber down by the canal. I fell and hit my head, and the next thing I knew I was in the street in some strange place. I don't know where I am or why I'm here, but I'm really scared. I don't belong here."

Sam looked at her, his eyes unblinking. "I see," he said finally. "If that's the case, I'm going to try my best to get you back to your time. But I don't think it can happen overnight, so you're just going to have to bear with me until I can do it."

"You believe me?"

"Why wouldn't I? You don't seem like you fit in this time. The whole computers thing made that much obvious. Plus, you don't know the city, but you've got a local accent. That would suggest you've lived here a long time, but your knowledge of the area contradicts that."

"You're a right proper detective, aren't you?"

Sam smiled. "You better believe it. Look, how about you stay with me tonight, seeing as you've got nowhere else? I've got a spare room, and I can drive you in tomorrow morning as well. We're not working, but I can show you round and teach you everything. It would put my mind at ease, if nothing else."

"Alright," Annie agreed. It wasn't as if she had anything else in the way of alternative arrangements. Sam seemed to understand her; he was the only friend she had in this time. He'd promised to help her get home, too. She knew she had to stay with him, at least for tonight.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reading this, especially DanaCartwright for reviewing. I've only ever spent one day in Manchester so I'm basically making it up; it's not going to be factually correct so I apologise to any Manc readers for ruining your city as you know it. Don't hate me for it though, please. x

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_"Drive until you lose the road or break with the ones you've followed"_

-The Fray, _How To Save A Life_

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Sam drove Annie back to his house. It was only ten minutes away, and he played the radio quietly. He deliberately picked one of the stations that wasn't playing modern dance music. If Annie really was telling the truth and she was from 1973, he had to break modern society to her gently.

The thing was, though, as impossible as it seemed, everything about her suggested she was telling the truth. Sam was a detective; he knew how to spot if someone was lying. Either Annie was an accomplished liar, an amnesiac or she was actually from 33 years in the past, and had somehow fallen through time.

"Here we are," Sam declared, pulling into his drive. He wasn't sure why he'd even brought his car that day; Saturdays were drinking days and he never drove in because he could never drive home. It was just a lucky coincidence he had taken it that morning.

"You've got a nice house," Annie remarked as she got out of the car.

Sam laughed. "Wait until you see the inside." He unlocked the door and let Annie in, stepping over a pile of post on the doorstep. "Sorry about the mess."

"It's fine," Annie told him. "My house is a mess as well. Lizzie brought the boys over yesterday."

"Lizzie?"

"My sister," Annie explained with a small smile. "She's got two boys, Daniel and Robert. They're good boys, but they ruined my house with mud."

"Playing football?" Sam guessed. "I used to do that as well. My mum would have a go at me because she'd usually have only just cleaned, and I'd come in with mud everywhere." He smiled at the memory. "Have you got kids yourself?"

Annie shook her head. "I'm still focusing on my career. I don't even have a boyfriend at the moment. In a way, I'm glad. He'd be back in 1973 without me right now, probably thinking something bad happened to me. God, they probably all think that. What if I can't get back? Will they forget about me?"

Sam took a tearful Annie in his arms. "I promise I'll try and work out how to get you back. But for now, you've just got to forget about it and focus on living here. You've got a lot to learn about 2006, but you can't go round telling everyone you're from the seventies. I believe you, but most wouldn't. Hunt would get you sectioned if you told him."

Annie nodded. "Thanks, Sam."

"It's alright," he reassured her, rubbing her arm soothingly. "I think you need some sleep. I've got a spare room you can have." He led Annie upstairs and into the small room. There was a double bed which filled most of the room, with a table on one side and a small wardrobe on the other.

"Thanks," Annie said again.

"Right, you get yourself settled. If you wake before me, help yourself to anything from the kitchen. I'll see you in the morning." Sam shut the door to give Annie some privacy before going into his own bedroom. He sat down on the bed, head in his hands. Was he going mad? Why did he believe this girl who said she was born 60 years ago? He hadn't completely ruled out the possibility of time travel, but why here? Why now? Why _him_?

Sam stripped off and climbed into bed, too tired to think about it any more. He was glad he hadn't gone out with the boys; it had been a long day as it was and he just needed to sleep. Drinking would have allowed him to talk out his problems, but he didn't trust them to keep their mouths shut. He was going through a difficult time in his relationship with Maya, which seemed to be common knowledge to the whole station. How many of them would let slip he was with Annie tonight, although in a completely innocent way?

He tossed and turned as he tried to make sense of everything in his head. Annie. Maya. Manchester was tormenting him. Sam slammed his head into his pillow.

It was light when he woke up. He rolled over and grabbed his mobile phone to check the time. 11:42. How late had he slept? He was never that tired. There were three text messages on his phone as well.

Dave O'Connell; 1:33am. **Oi oi Sammy boy, yur not thd only on who pulld tonte. ;) **

Dave, drunk as usual. Sam deleted it, just so that Maya didn't see it if she got hold of his phone. He hadn't pulled, but the lads seemed to see it that way. It was going to take some explaining, but he had to keep them quiet.

Maya Roy; 9:21am. **Sam, we need to talk. Are you free today? I can meet you when I finish work. **

Sam sighed and tapped out a reply.

**Something's come up, sorry. Maybe tomorrow?**

He went back to his inbox and found the third. It was the one that concerned him the most.

Kate Green; 11:18am. **Hunt wants your blood. Someone said you're sleeping with the new DC. He's going to try and use it to get you out. **

Sam got out of bed and was about to head downstairs in just his t-shirt and boxers before remembering about Annie. He pulled on a pair of scruffy joggers in the interest of decency, then went into the kitchen.

Annie was sat at the table, watching the 24 hour news channel on the television.

"I thought I'd better understand what's going on in 2006," she explained. "I never knew so many channels exist. There's so much choice."

"You managed to work it ok?" Sam was impressed.

Annie nodded. "I just hit a few buttons and guessed. When I found the news it seemed like a good thing to watch. It should be finished in a bit, though, it's been on for nearly an hour."

Sam laughed. "This is BBC News 24. It has news all day every day."

Annie's eyes widened. "Wow.

"Yeah. Anyway, there's a problem. Hunt somehow found out that you stayed here last night. He's going to try and use it to rip the department from me. I've got to go in. It's up to you what you do, but you can't come with me."

"O-ok. I'll stay here, if you don't mind."

"Yeah, that's fine." Sam took a slice of bread and put it in the toaster. "Now you're up to date with the news, do you think you understand 2006?"

"Sort of," Annie replied. "It's still so different from where I come from, though."

"Yeah. But when I get back, I'm going to teach you how to use the computers. You're going to need to." The toaster popped up and Sam took his food out, biting into the slice without putting any spreads on it. "Did you sleep alright?"

Annie nodded. "Did you?"

"Yeah," Sam lied. "Have you remembered anything more about how you got here?"

"I've tried, but I just don't know. It's like I suddenly went from one place to another, one time to another, but that's just not possible. I keep thinking I'm dreaming, but why would I dream this?"

"I can think of worse dreams to have." Sam ripped another bite out of his toast. "Anyway, I better get off to the station. Don't answer the door or the phone."

"Yes, Dad."

Sam laughed. "I'm serious, though. Just stay in the house, do what you like but just stay indoors. At the moment, I don't want you going out without me. It's not safe."

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Sam showered and dressed in jeans and a polo shirt. He put his black coat on before leaving the house and driving to the police station. It was cold and he wasn't walking for anyone; he wanted to get back as soon as he could. He didn't want to leave Annie alone for too long.

Entering through the back entrance of Greater Manchester Police's main station, he nodded greetings to a few of his colleagues as he passed them on the stairs. He swung open the door to his office, hands in the air.

"Alright, what's happening? Any progress in finding our man Chatsworth?"

"Tyler." DS Harry Parker swung around from his computer. "I didn't think you were supposed to be in today."

"Nor did I, but I've got a few bits and bobs that need sorting. Is Hunt around?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Sam strode across the CID room to the far corner where Hunt tended to work. He put a hand on the man's shoulders. "Ah, Huntykins. I want a word with you."

Hunt turned around. "You see, I'm confused, Tyler. You act like a gayboy half the time, but the other half you're screwing whatever bit of skirt enters the office."

"At least I'm not drooling, unlike you." Sam pulled over a spare chair and sat down. "The thing is, a little birdy told me there's a chief inspector's job going over in uniform. Now I know you want my job, but that's the next best thing, and if you want to go for it, I've got to write your reference. So you play nice and I'll be nice."

"That's blackmail, and you know it."

"And?"

"Maybe I'll choose to stay here instead, be a pain in your arse until you decide to jack it in and go join the circus. After all, I'm next in line for the DCI role here, and we both know it. So why don't you transfer over to uniform and I'll move up here, and we'll all be happy."

"Over my dead body. This is my department, and I'm not giving it to you."

"No, but you'll give it to any girl that flashes her tits at you, though."

"Oh, piss off, Hunt."

"No wonder Maya's doesn't want you."

Sam snapped. He grabbed Hunt by the collar and pulled him close to his face. "Don't you talk about my girlfriend like that. Our relationship is none of your business."

"Isn't it? Do you know where she is now? In the disabled toilet sucking off Brian Tucker."

Sam let go of Hunt's collar before he smashed his face in. He put his hands on his head and paced the length of the department, before stopping where a young detective was sitting.

"Kate."

"I see you got my message then." Kathryn Green, normally known as Kate, was Sam's closest ally in the department. 23 but with the face of a sixteen year old, she often went undercover as a teenager. She was the younger sister of one of Sam's childhood friends, and they had known each other for years. He trusted her more than anyone else in the police station.

"Yeah. Where's Maya? Where's Brian?"

Kate looked down at her keyboard. "I don't know."

"Kathryn." Sam slammed his hand down on the desk, making her jump. "Tell me."

Kate turned. "What did Hunt say to you?"

"That they're screwing each other. Is it true?"

Kate's silence told Sam all that he needed to know. He ran to the disabled toilet and banged on the door with his fist. "Tucker, open the fuck up right now. I know you're in there."

There was a barely audible mumbling before Sam kicked out at the door. "I'm not leaving until you open up, so don't think you can sneak her out somehow. What the fuck do you think you're doing, screwing my girlfriend?"

The door opened, and Maya's head appeared in the small gap. "Sam, listen."

Sam pushed the door wide open and grabbed Brian by the collar. He pushed him up against the wall, his back against the soap dispenser. "I have every right to smash your face in right now, but I'm not going to give you the satisfaction. You're welcome to her."

Turning to leave, he stared at Maya. "I hope you're happy with him."

There was little point going back into his department, so he left the police station and broke into a jog. He liked to run and sweat off his angst, and this time he had more problems than he knew how to deal with. He and Maya had been going through a rough patch, but never in his wildest dreams would he have guessed she was cheating on him.

The whole department seemed to know, too. How could he carry on working there with their inevitable looks of pity or humour? Maybe Hunt was right, and he should move to uniform. At least he wouldn't have to look at Maya or Brian every day.

Rain began to fall, but still Sam kept running. Eventually, soaked to the skin and exhausted, he would up at the police station again. He got into his car and slammed his head down on the steering wheel.

"Why?" he shouted to the roof. "Why me? Why does my life have to be so fucked up right now? What did I do to deserve this?"


	4. Chapter 3

Slightly shorter chapter here, because I've had a busy week. It's a bit of a filler, but it picks up with the action in the next couple, I promise. Hope you're still enjoying the story though, and reviews are love.

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"I promise you I will learn from my mistakes"_

-Coldplay, _Fix You_

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Sam stumbled through his front door and was greeted by the smell of chicken. He slammed the door shut and collapsed onto the bottom stair, head between his knees and breathing deeply.

"Sam?" Annie appeared in the hallway, a glass of water in her hand. "I'm just cooking dinner, I assumed you'd be alright with whatever as it was all in your kitchen. I'm doing a nice Sunday roast like my parents always do."

"Whatever." Sam mumbled into his knees.

"What's happened?" Annie asked, crouching down beside him. "You're soaked, look at you."

"My girlfriend was screwing one of the other DCs."

"Screwing?"

"Shagging, fucking, whatever word you used in the nineteen bloody seventies. She was sleeping with another man, alright?"

"I'm sorry." Annie held out the glass of water. "Have a drink, it might help you calm down."

Sam batted it out of her hand, spilling water all over the carpet. "Unless it's a stiff one in the pub, I don't want a drink. I'm going to take a shower. I won't be down for dinner." He stood up and ran up the creaking stairs.

Annie picked up the glass from the floor. Sam had obviously had a bad morning, but she wasn't going to pry. She'd just have to be a friend and support him like he had been there for her the night before. She owed him that much.

Once the dinner was cooked, she served up her own plate before putting Sam's in the turned-off oven to keep it warm. The radio kept her company as she ate, and she was washing up when Sam eventually entered the kitchen.

"Sorry for snapping at you before."

"It's fine. Your dinner's in the oven to keep it warm." Annie didn't even turn away from the sink.

"Annie, please."

"You're not the only one in this room with problems, you know. Your girlfriend may have cheated on you but in case you've forgotten, I'm stuck in a different century to the one I belong in."

"Oh, you and your time travel. That's right. I'm beginning to doubt that story more and more, as it happens."

"It's true. As mad as it sounds, I promise I'm not making it up."

"And Maya promised she'd never cheat."

Sam ate his dinner in silence as Annie finished the washing up then retreated to the living room. There was a newspaper from a couple of days ago in there and she read it, trying to understand as much as she could about the year she had found herself in. She would have gone out into the garden for some air but the pouring rain ruled that out as a possibility.

"Annie." Sam appeared in the living room and sat down beside her. "Look, I've been out of order to you. All you've tried to do is help me since I got back, and I've been a pig. Thanks for cooking, you really didn't have to."

"You helped me yesterday, and I just wanted to repay the favour."

"If you don't hate me enough that you want me out of your sight, I'll show you how to use a computer this afternoon."

"I'd like that."

"Right, an IT lesson it is then."

"IT?"

"Information Technology. Computers, basically. They call it IT in schools."

"They teach you how to use computers in schools?" Annie was stunned. "How long have they been around for?"

"Only since the late nineties properly. But they get better and better all the time."

"Where's yours? I didn't see one in the house earlier."

"I've got a laptop; it's in my room." Sam stood up and stretched out his arms. "I'll go and get it. This could take a while."

Annie fetched two glasses of water from the kitchen while Sam brought the laptop down. He put it in front of them on the small coffee table.

"Right, turn it on."

Annie leant forward and scanned it for a button. There was a big circular one in the top left corner, so she pressed it. The screen jumped into life with colour, and she turned to Sam, a grin on her face. "Now what?"

"Wait for it to load."

Annie sat back for a couple of minutes. The screen eventually changed to one which asked for a password. Sam typed it in, and the screen changed once more to a photo of him and Maya on the beach.

"I need to change that." Sam picked up the laptop and tapped a few keys before setting it down again. The picture was now one of him and a couple of other men in a club. "I don't want to look at her face."

"Who are they?"

"The one in the middle's Lee; that's Kate's brother. You'll meet Kate tomorrow, she's on my team. The other one's Damien. I went to school with them. This is Damo's birthday last year."

Annie nodded, committing the faces to memory.

"Right," Sam told her. "Main thing you need to know is how to work the internet. Click on the orange button on the side."

"How do I do that?"

"Use the mouse pad."

Annie ran her finger over the mouse pad, moving the arrow to the orange button. She clicked on it and the screen changed to one with a thin box in the middle.

"Right, now you type in what you want to search for. Just type, it'll work"

Annie began to type, hitting each letter individually. She was a lot slower than Sam was, because the way the keys were laid out confused her.

"Annie Cartwright 1973" Sam read aloud.

Annie's cheeks reddened. "I want to find out what happened to me. Can I do that on here?"

"You can try. Now, hit the 'enter' button."

Annie did as she was told, and a list appeared on the screen. She read over them, but there was nothing that seemed to indicate what had happened to her.

"Click on one of them and read it. Move the mouse."

Again, Annie obeyed. She brought up a screen and began to read it.

Manchester Gazette

**February 3rd, 1973**

**A policewoman has been seriously injured after a fall while pursuing a thief. WPC Annie Cartwright, 27, was pursuing William Chatsworth on Saturday when she slipped and hit her head on the canal path. Chatsworth was later arrested by DC Chris Skelton, but WPC Cartwright remains in a coma in Manchester General Hospital.**

"That's me," Annie gasped. "I was in a coma."

Sam's eyes were unmoving from the screen. "Billy Chatsworth," he mouthed. "Tell me, Annie, what do you know about Chatsworth? How old was he?"

Annie shrugged. "Younger than me. Early twenties, maybe not quite as old as that."

"So if he was alive now he'd be about sixty, possibly."

"Yeah, he could be. Why?"

"Because your William Chatsworth is our Billy Chatsworth, who's on the run after mass murder."


	5. Chapter 4

Thanks to everyone who's been reading so far; it means a lot. I finished the series yesterday and I have to say I loved it. I wish they'd made more, but then agan fanfiction is how you fill in the blanks. Anyway, enjoy the next chapter. Oh, and the conversation at the end is based on what an ex-colleague of mine did when he was younger. You'll know what I mean when you read it :)

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_"Who's that girl there? I wonder what went wrong"_

-Arctic Monkeys, _When The Sun Goes Down_

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Sam drove Annie to the police station the next morning. She hadn't got any clothes other than what she stood up in, so Sam had let her wear a few of Maya's things that lived at his house. As such, she was dressed in jeans that were too long for her and a jumper that was too baggy, but at least she looked normal. Sam promised to take her shopping for new clothes when they finished their shift.

Sam leant on the desk as they entered the station. "Winston," he greeted the burly receptionist. "DC Cartwright here needs her ID badge."

"'Ite," Winston replied, opening a drawer. "Is your first day, babe?"

"Yeah," Annie told him. She copied Sam's casual stance, twisting one of her curls behind her ear.

"Sammy boy he look af'you. He top man. This you?" He slid over a badge with Annie's name on it.

Sam picked it up, checked it and handed it to Annie. "Cheers for that, Winston. How's the missus?"

"She nearly drop. On' two weeks now."

"Two weeks 'til baby Winston. Watch out, world." Sam laughed and turned to head upstairs. "Come on."

Annie followed him, fastening her badge onto the belt of her jeans as she walked. "Sam, I can't put my badge on while I'm walking, it's just not possible."

"You're a bird, you're meant to multitask."

Annie turned around at the strange voice behind her. "Who are you?"

"Gary Hunt. Soon to be DCI."

"In your dreams, Huntyboy." Sam stopped on the top step. "Annie, this is DI Hunt. Huntyboy, meet DC Cartwright."

"I see you've already met Tinkerbell." Annie stared at him, confused. "Oh, we've got a simple one here. He's Tinkerbell Tyler. Because he's a girl."

"Ignore him; he's got his insides muddled up. Crap always seems to come out of his mouth." Sam pushed open the door to the department. "Right, team. We've got a new DC joining us today. This is Annie Cartwright."

Annie smiled from where she stood behind Sam, not sure what to say. It was Hunt who broke the silence.

"Oh, get out the way. Some of us have jobs to do." He pushed past, striding across to his desk.

Kate spun round on her chair and stood up, tossing her dyed black hair out of her face with a nod of the head. "Kate Green. Welcome to the team." She held out her hand, which Annie shook.

Sam smiled. "Kate, can you fill Annie in on the Chatsworth case please? Oh, and if Tucker turns up, tell him to stay the hell out of my way if he wants to leave here with his teeth intact."

Kate raised an eyebrow, but agreed. She turned to Annie after Sam had walked off to his office. "He's taking it better than I thought he would."

"He threatened to punch Tucker's face out."

"As opposed to having already done it. Sam – DCI Tyler's got a bit of a temper."

"Yeah, I saw that y- on the stairs. He nearly had a go at DI Hunt." Annie corrected herself quickly. She didn't want to admit to living with Sam, at least not yet. It was only a temporary arrangement, anyway. She wanted to seem normal; to fit in as best as she could in this strange world.

"He and Hunt hate each other's guts. Any chance to snipe at one another they'll take it. You'll soon learn this."

"Why?" Annie sat down next to Kate and looked over her shoulder at the computer screen.

"Hunt wants the DCI job so badly. His old man was DCI, and he's desperate for it. He felt he was robbed when Sam got promoted."

"Who do you think should have got it?"

"Sam, no doubt. I don't like Hunt, he's a sexist pig."

"Just like his dad."

"What was that?" Kate tapped on the keyboard as she spoke.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking aloud, that's all."

"Right, well, Sam wants me to fill you in on the Chatsworth case. This here's Billy Chatsworth, 53 and on the run. He's suspected of raping and murdering three young women. We all know he did it; the evidence is conclusive. We just need to find him."

Kate brought up the photograph of Chatsworth. Annie stared at it, momentarily. 33 years may have passed but he was still the same man that she had chased after back in 1973. She was more certain about that than the reason why she had travelled in time.

"Do you have any idea where he is?"

Kate laughed. "If we knew that, we wouldn't be sitting here now. If you were a mass murderer, where would you hide out?"

Annie paused to think for a minute. "The warehouse down on Dolby Lane."

"There's no warehouse on Dolby Lane. They converted that into flats back in the 90s."

"Oh, yeah. They did." Annie had a feeling this was going to be a lot more difficult than she'd thought. Then she had a brainwave.

"Can we go down to the canal, where the Holvert Road bridge goes over it? I've had an idea."

Kate tapped at the keyboard and brought up an aerial map of Manchester. She zoomed in on the canal. "Holvert Road bridge. Talk me through the plan."

Annie leant in closer to the screen. "There." She tapped in the middle of a field. "There's an Anderson shelter in the field."

"No there's not."

"There is," Annie insisted. "Lizzie and I used to go and play in it as kids. Tommy Coleman found it. Nobody knows it's there except us. There used to be a farmhouse there and it was bombed in the war. The Anderson was right underground, and the entrance got blocked by dirt. Tommy only found it because his dog started digging. Chatsworth used to live near Tommy. He probably followed him there once." As she stopped speaking, Annie realised how involved in her past she was becoming. No, this wasn't good. She couldn't give too much away.

"I'll speak to Sam, see if we can take a car down there. I don't think he'll be happy though." Kate stood up and walked over to Sam's office. Annie watched as she knocked on the door, entered and then the two emerged moments later.

"What's this about you knowing where Chatsworth may be hiding?"

Annie quickly explained it to Sam, who nodded.

"Right, you two armour up. I'll get a car and we'll go down there."

Kate stared incredulously at Annie as the two women headed down to the armour room. "How did you get him to agree so easily? I usually have to twist his arm to get him to agree to things like that."

Annie shrugged. "Maybe he just wants to avoid Tucker, and by getting out of the department he's making it easier to do so."

"True. You're a right proper detective, you are. Where are you from again?"

"Other side of town." Annie elected to be vague. She couldn't remember her supposed back story, and 1973 wasn't going to be an acceptable answer. Taking a stab proof vest from the rack, she pulled it on between her jumper and red vest top. It felt uncomfortable and awkward, but she knew better than to argue.

"I see." Kate grabbed a third vest, supposedly for Sam, and began to walk in the opposite direction to which they came.

"Where are we going?"

"Car park." Kate jumped down the stairs two at a time. "God, I'm excited. If Chatsworth really is there, it's going to be two fingers up at Hunt on this one."

"You really hate him, don't you?"

Kate scoffed. "The first day I joined, Hunt thought I was a kid. Sure, I look like I should still be in school but I'm actually 23. He said something about playing hopscotch in the playground. He treats me like a kid; all of us girls actually. He tried to hit on Maya as well. That's why she hates him, and Sam hates him in part because of that, too. He and Maya were going out at the time."

"He sounds horrible."

"He is. You're either on Sam's side or Hunt's side in this department. If you've got any sense you'll stick with DCI Tyler." She pushed open the door to the car park and was hit with a sudden gust of wind. "Hell, it's cold out here."

Annie shivered as she walked over to a police van where Sam was already in the driver's seat.

"Took you long enough."

Kate stuck her tongue out at him as the two women climbed into the front. There were two passenger seats, which surprised Annie, but she kept quiet.

Sam turned on the radio as they drove across Manchester. Kate almost immediately feigned yawning.

"This music's sending me to sleep. Can we put my iPod on?"

"If you must." There was an underlying approval in Sam's sarcastic comment, though, and Kate smiled as she plugged it in. "What sort of stuff do you like, Annie?"

"Whatever." Annie didn't even know any modern music. Thankfully, when the opening chords of David Bowie's _Changes_ broke out, she didn't have to worry. She was shocked he was still popular even now, but there was no way of asking about it in front of Kate.

"What's this?" Sam asked, braking at a set of traffic lights. "Kathryn Green, willingly listening to Bowie? It seems I've had more of an influence on your music taste than I thought."

Kate pulled a face. "I was chatting to Lee the other night and he said something about you two queueing to see Bowie when you were younger. I stole a few songs from his computer."

Sam laughed, recalling the memory fondly. "We couldn't get gig tickets so we waited outside for hours just to get a glimpse of him. We skipped school and everything, my mum went spare but I was too happy to care. I'd seen my hero, and that was all that mattered."

Annie looked out of the window, taking in the streets and sites of Manchester. Sam had seen his hero, but where was hers? Maybe the Chatsworth case was the key to her getting home. Maybe she didn't need a hero; maybe she was her own saviour. Either way, the finding in the field was going to make or break her day.


	6. Chapter 5

_"You can run all your life, all mine I will chase"_

-Embrace, _Nature's Law_

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Annie directed Sam to the field from the passenger seat. She hoped it hadn't changed a lot since she remembered it; she hadn't been there since her childhood and that was a good ten years - forty three years, she reminded herself – ago. Anything could have happened in that time.

Sam pulled up by the side of the road. "Right, you stay under my orders at all times, alright? Three women have been killed by Chatsworth, and chances are he'll have a gun on him if he is in there. I don't want either of you getting hurt."

"Shouldn't we wait for armed response then?" Kate adjusted her armour under her coat.

"I've got them on standby," Sam explained. He looked into the rear view mirror and saw a white van coming into view. "They're in that van; they'll get out when we do. So, shall we go?"

Two nods, and Sam opened the door. He landed flat-footed on the rough road, wishing he'd worn shoes that wouldn't take forever to clean if they got covered in mud. That seemed to be the inevitable consequence of the investigation, whether or not they found what they were looking for.

Kate and Annie climbed out of the van and let Sam lock it up before walking over to where Annie recalled the shelter being. Mud squelched around their feet, the rain from the previous night obviously not being completely soaked up.

The four armed response officers followed at a distance. Annie stopped suddenly in the middle of the hilly field and stared down at the grass, kicking at a mound with her feet. Mud slipped into her shoes but she carried on, unfazed by the discomfort.

"Here it is."

Sam and Kate looked down and saw a rusty metal door.

"You serious?" Kate asked. "It doesn't look like anyone's been here in years."

There was an awkward silence until Sam broke it, keen to diffuse the tension between the two DCs. "Well, there's no harm in checking it. Annie, do you know how it opens?"

Annie nodded. She bent down and tugged at the door, dislodging a twig that was wedged between it. She pulled it open with one exhaustive yank, and stumbled backwards from the recoil. She landed on her back in the mud as Sam and Kate moved in to investigate.

"Nobody move." Billy Chatsworth, a burly man in his early fifties, was standing in the entrance to the shelter, a gun in his hand. He pointed the weapon from Sam to Kate, then eventually settled on Annie, who hadn't managed to get up from the ground.

"Mr Chatsworth, we've got armed police surrounding you." Sam's heart began to race. He couldn't let anything bad happen to Annie. Not today.

"And I've got a gun at one of your pig's heads."

"What do you want?" It was Annie who spoke up, her voice a lot calmer than she felt inside.

"A threesome with you and the other bird over there would be nice."

Annie blinked, confused. Kate's face was one of disgust, though. She looked to Sam for a hint of what she should say in reply.

Instead, though, it was one of the armed officers who spoke. "Mr Chatsworth, put the gun down. You're surrounded by armed police."

"What are you going to do, shoot me?"

"I hope it won't come to that. If you put the gun down we can avoid that."

"So what, I drop my gun and get arrested? I think I prefer keeping this one hostage, as it happens. It's a lot more fun." Chatsworth mimed shooting at Annie, and Kate jumped in shock.

"You know you don't want to hurt her." Sam tried to diffuse the situation.

"Don't I? I've killed three women before, remember? What's another one to add to the history books?"

Sam's pulse raced. Chatsworth was a psychopath; there seemed to be no reasoning with him. He had to get Annie out of the situation, and fast. "Look, if you let her go you can take me instead. How about that?"

"Are you secretly a bird? I'm no queer. I think I'll keep this one, thanks."

"Sam, it's alright." Annie spoke quietly to her boss.

"No, it's not. It might be in- where you come from, but it's not here."

"What other choice do I have, though?"

Chatsworth smiled. "I like this one. She's a clever girl." He bent down and stroked Annie's chin with the gun.

"Get down!"

Sam and Kate ducked as a string of bullets rang out. Chatsworth slumped to the ground, but it wasn't him that Sam was primarily concerned with. The armed unit could do what they liked with him, as far as he cared.

"Annie!" Sam ran over and crouched down beside her. "Are you alright?"

It was only then that he noticed the blood seeping through her jumper. Quickly, he pulled off his jacket and pressed it against the wound. "Kate, call an ambulance!"

"No point." Annie's breath was raspy.

"There's every point." Sam cradled her against his chest, holding his hand firmly against her injury. "Annie, you've only just got here. You've got so much to live for."

"I don't belong here. Maybe this way I'll go back."

"At least give it a chance here, please! You've got to fight. You can't let him win."

"He hasn't won," Annie breathed. "I have." Her eyes closed and Sam's salty tears fell onto her eyelids.

"No, Annie! You can't give up! I'm begging you here, you've got to fight. I...I don't know what I'd do without you." He bent close to her face and planted a soft kiss on her lips. There was no breath from her mouth.

Sam screamed.


	7. Chapter 6

Only one more chapter after this one, guys.

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_"I'm no wiser than the fool I was before"_

-Paolo Nutini,_ Last Request_

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Sam cradled Annie's lifeless body against his chest, not wanting to let her go. Doing so would be like admitting defeat. She couldn't be dead. It was her first day on the job. She'd got so much to live for; so much to learn.

"You bastard." Sam shouted at Chatsworth, who, despite being shot in the leg, was being handcuffed and led away by the armed police. "You better hope they put someone else on your case, because if it's me, I'm going to bloody kill you."

"Go ahead. Pigs like you won't last long in prison, anyway."

Sam was about to retort when Kate's hand squeezed his shoulder gently. "Don't. He's not worth it."

"He fucking killed her."

"I know, Sam, I know."

"What am I going to do? I was supposed to be looking after her. Now...now this." Sam turned to face Kate. "What do I do now?"

"We carry on. We have to."

Tears poured down Sam's face. He wasn't the crying type; usually all his emotions could be channelled through running and sweating it out; or failing that, shouting. "How?"

"I don't know, but we'll find a way." Kate crouched down next to Sam, her own face damp too. She put one hand on top of his. "That's what she would have wanted."

Sam nodded. "Why, though? Why her? He could have turned on any one of us. Why Annie?"

"I don't know. Like you said, it could have been any of us. It's not your fault, Sam."

Leaving Annie's head on his lap, Sam reached out his arms and hugged Kate, burying his head into her shoulder. "It just seems like such a waste of a life."

They sat there for a while, both mourning their fallen colleague until the ambulance crew arrived.

"It's too late," Sam said quietly as one of the paramedics crouched down to check for Annie's pulse.

The paramedic nodded. "I'm sorry."

The rest of the morning passed in a blur. Annie's body was taken away, while uniformed police from the local station arrived to question Sam and Kate. They were eventually dropped back at their station, where they stood in the entrance.

"What do I say to them?" Sam asked.

Kate slipped her hand into his and squeezed it tightly. "You'll find the words. You always do."

Sam nodded. Hands trembling, he made his way up the stairs, using the banister to keep him upright. Kate followed, he knew partly because otherwise he couldn't have done it. She was the only one he had now; Maya had betrayed him and Annie was- he couldn't bring himself to think about it.

He pushed open the door to the office and just stood there, scanning round to see how many of his team were there.

Maya was the first to approach him. "Sam, I-"

Sam held up his hand to silence her. "Don't," he said quietly, his voice nearly breaking. He picked up a stapler from the edge of the nearest desk and banged it a couple of times. The hubbub in the office died down and all attention turned to Sam.

He stared for a minute, until Kate whispered in his ear. "Go on. You've got to do this."

Sam took a deep breath. "I-I don't know how many of you met DC Annie Cartwright this morning. We went to investigate a tip-off about where Billy Chatsworth could be hiding. We found him. Unfortunately, he had a gun and shot Annie."

There were a series of murmurings throughout the department.

"Is she alright?" one of the DCs asked.

Sam shook his head. "Sh-she didn't make it."

Stunned gasps filled the office. Nobody seemed to know quite what to say until Hunt stood up at the back of the office, clapping slowly as he walked towards Sam.

"Well done Tyler, you've got us all well and truly had. Only fault is that it's not April 1st."

Sam stared at him. "Do you really think I'd joke about a colleague being killed? I'm not as sick-minded as you."

"True. I mean, if you were joking, why pretend the new girl's dead? Why not say it was Maya instead? After all, you've got a reason for it with her."

"You shut up about Maya." Sam grabbed Hunt's collar and shoved him up against the wall. "Annie's dead and you're a fucking bastard. Get the hell out of my office. Chatsworth's probably down in the cells; go and speak to him. He's the one who killed her. If you don't believe me maybe you'll believe him."

Hunt pushed Sam away. "I'm the bastard? I'm sorry, who's the one who was shagging the new girl on Saturday night behind your girlfriend's back? Oh yeah, she's not your girlfriend any more."

Sam saw red. He punched Hunt in the face, drawing blood from his nose. Hunt pushed him back, sending him sprawling over the nearest desk. The two grappled, fists and abuse flying with no regard for the rest of the department.

"Stop it!" Maya's voice broke into Sam's consciousness and he felt someone pull him off of Hunt. He turned slightly, crumpling into the arms of whoever was holding him. Maya.

"I couldn't stop him," Sam whispered as he clung to Maya's chest. Tears mixed with blood on his face, both soaking into the female detective's shoulder. "He's a psychopath."

"Who are we talking about here, Hunt or Chatsworth?"

Sam forced a small smile at this. He'd forgotten how quickly Maya could start cheering him up when it all got too much. "I don't know. Both."

Maya let out a chuckle. "Come on, I'll get your face cleaned up."

"I'm fine, honestly."

"No, you're not. And I'm not taking no for an answer right now." Maya turned to Kate, who was sweeping up some broken china from a mug that had been knocked over in the fight. "You're in charge."

Kate stared up at her. "What? But-"

"There's no other senior officers in at the moment, so I'm delegating. Someone sort Hunt out; I'm pretty sure the Super won't want bloodstains everywhere." Maya looped her arm through Sam's and marched him out of the department. She opened the door to the disabled toilet and practically forced him inside.

"You're beginning to make a habit of taking guys to this toilet."

Maya glared at Sam. "Is now really the right time to have this argument? Shut up and pinch your nose, there's blood everywhere."

Sam did as he was told, taking a seat on the toilet lid and catching sight of himself in the mirror as he did so. He was a mess; blood was pouring out of his nose and had stained the top half of his shirt. There was other blood on him as well. Annie's.

Maya wrapped a wad of toilet paper around her hand and dampened it in the sink before using it to wipe Sam's face. He winced as it stung against one of his cuts.

"Stop being a wimp."

Sam sat motionless for a while, just allowing Maya to clean his face. He closed his eyes, trying to relax.

"_Sam! Sam!"_

"_Annie?"_

"_Sam, you've got to help me go home."_

"_I'm trying. I promise you, I will help you get back."_

"_But you're not. You're letting me stay here because you want me to. Let me go, Sam."_

"_I can't."_

"_You've got to let me go. You said you'd help me go home. This is the time."_

Sam jolted forward, headbutting Maya in the stomach. "No! Now's not your time to go!" He slumped onto the floor, head buried between his knees. "Now isn't your time. It can't be, you've only just got here."

"Sam." Maya crouched down beside him, wrapping her arms around him and making soothing circular motions on his back. "Listen to me. I mean it, Sammy. Look at me. Look at my face."

Sam raised his head slightly, his eyes fixing on Maya's.

"Whatever happened today, it wasn't your fault. Don't go blaming yourself, because I know you, and that's what you're probably going to do. I want to be there for you, if you'll let me. This is going to be tough, but I know you're strong enough to get through this."

Sam rested his head on Maya's shoulders. "Thanks," he whispered. "And I don't want us to end up hating each other."

Maya smiled, holding Sam tight. "Neither do I. Now, are you ready to go out there and face the department again?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."


	8. Chapter 7

So this is the final chapter. Sorry it's taken so long to upload, I've been off ill with tonsilitis all last week and I've had so much work to do at uni. Still, hope you enjoy it. Oh, and a little note about the song lyrics - I don't know if anyone's picked up on this, but with the exception of the prologue, they're all songs from 2006, which is Sam's time. So, yeah. Just a random quirk I decided on doing for the story. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with this, thanks for reading. x

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_ "I know that all you're asking for is a little place in my heart"_

_ -_Will Young_, Who Am I_

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Sam took a look at himself in the mirror before leaving the toilet. His nose was bunged up with toilet roll, but at least it was going to stem the bleeding. The cuts on his cheek and jaw had dried, and although they were going to scab in a few days, they didn't seem as though they would scar. As for whether or not he would end up with a black eye or two, only time would tell.

He took a swig of water from under the running tap, wiping his face with wet hands. He pushed open the door and headed towards the department, Maya closely following.

His jaw dropped as he entered. Everybody was tapping at their computers, working in silence, with the exception of Kate who was vacuum cleaning the carpet around the trashed desk.

"What did you say to them? I've never got this sort of behaviour to happen, and I've been DCI for a good three years."

Kate tapped her nose. "Promote me to DCI and you'll soon find out."

"One step at a time, eh?"

Maya put a hand on Sam's arm. "You should go home. You look like you could do with some rest. It seems like everything's under control here, anyway."

"I can't go home." It was going to be too quiet without Annie. He was surprised how quickly he had gotten used to having her around.

"Yes you can. I'll drive you. Don't argue."

Sam nodded. "What about you, Kate?"

Kate shrugged. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I've called Lee, he's going to pick me up and we're going to my parents' house for dinner. I'll stay there the night."

"Promise you'll ring me if you need to talk. I don't care if it's 3am, I probably won't be asleep anyway."

"I promise. Just go home, Sam."

Sam left the office, Maya once more close behind. He stopped at the top of the stairs. "You don't have to be nice to me, you know."

"I know." Maya looped her arm through his. "Come on, let's go home."

Maya's car was a lot smaller than Sam remembered it being. He climbed into the passenger seat and strapped himself in, turning on the radio so he didn't have to think about things.

"...this is the request show with Jonathan Greenwood. The next song is from Annie, who's dedicating it to Sam for believing in her. I haven't heard this in quite a while, so in a throwback to the seventies, here's a bit of Bowie." The opening chords of _Changes_ began to blare out of the car speakers.

Sam turned to Maya. "Did you hear that?"

"It's not her, Sam. She's dead."

"But- but we were listening to this song in the car earlier. Kate put it on when we were driving to the field. It can't be coincidence, surely?"

"There's no other explanation."

"Yes there is. She went back to 1973, and somehow she survived, and now she's sixty and remembered the date and called into the show."

"Sam, you're talking nonsense."

They spent the rest of the journey in silence. Sam was convinced the message on the radio was from Annie; it all made sense to him. Apart from the obvious overriding factor that she was dead, of course.

He unlocked his front door and almost stumbled over the pile of post on his mat. He bent down and picked it up while Maya walked past him and through to the kitchen. He leafed through the envelopes. Most of it was bills and spam mail. How boring.

But one envelope intrigued him. His name and address were handwritten in an unfamiliar loopy style. He turned it over and slid his finger through the flap to open it. Inside was a folded note, headed up with the Metropolitan Police logo and an address on the top corner.

_My dear Sam,_

_If I've got the timing right, it's only been a few hours since you last saw me. You should have heard the song on the radio; if you did, you'll have heard the dedication too. I mean it, Sam. You believed in me when most people would have sent me to a psychiatrist almost immediately._

_If I've got the right day, I was shot dead this morning. I'd only known you two days but you believed me when I said I knew where Chatsworth would be. Don't feel bad about what happened; I'm just glad it wasn't you or Kate. You would have been dead forever. I just went back to my own time. _

_I saw the future, Sam. I came from 1973 and saw what the world was going to be like. I don't know why I was sent there, or how I got there, but I worked hard to improve the police force over the years based on what you taught me. I'm a commander in London now. Look me up on the internet. Commander Annie Jenkins, MBE._

_In 1976, I married a man, Frank Jenkins. He was a police officer, too. We had three children. David, Samantha and Frank Jr. Samantha was named after you. Have a look at the photo I've enclosed. It's on David's wedding day last year. The young boy is his son, Tyler. He wants to be a police officer just like his Nanna and Gramps. Like his namesake, too._

_Anyway, Sam, I wrote to tell you I'm alright, and not to worry about me. It's my sixtieth birthday in a few weeks, and my sons are organising a party. It's supposed to be a surprise, but you can't keep things like that from a detective. You of all people should know that. I'd like you to come if it's not too weird for you; bring Kate as well, if you think she's up for it. You don't have to tell her who I am if you don't want to; just say I'm a colleague from when you started out._

_You were kind to me, Sam, and I can't put down in words how much I'm grateful for that. Stay strong, and I know you'll stay being a brilliant policeman. There's a superintendent's job up for grabs in London, by the way. If you fancy a change of scenery just let me know, and I'll put your name forward. I know you're more than capable._

_I've got to go now; Tyler's begging me to take him to the park. I hope I'll see you soon; you'll always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you once again, for everything. _

_Yours, with love always,_

_Annie x_

Sam stared down at the letter in his hands, not quite sure if he could believe what he was reading.

"Hey," Maya called out from the kitchen. "Are you alright?"

Sam folded up the note and put it into the back pocket of his jeans, already trying to calculate the price of a train ticket to London. "Yeah. Yeah, I just think I might be."


End file.
